Bromances Are On The Rise Thanks To Society Being Less Homophobic

Does your boo have bromances in his life? Probably! And now, thanks to changing attitudes towards homosexuality, bromances are booming. As society has become less homophobic there have been lots of great effects, from serious ones like civil liberties for LGBTQ people (yay, marriage equality!) to super fun ones like guilty pleasure reality shows (ahem, Bravo). But one of the most interesting byproducts of the decline in homophobia is that bromances between straight men have been allowed to boom. It’s become more socially acceptable for straight men to form and rely on close and deep male friendships. So, Joey, grab your Chandler and let your bromance blossom.

Women have never been shy about calling a group of their best girlfriends, opening up all the bottles of wine, and spilling a lot more than rosé. We’ve long known the importance of and relied on close female friendships. Straight men haven’t always had this luxury. It wasn’t always socially acceptable for bros to share their inner most thoughts and feelings with other straight male friends.

But UK researchers say that’s all changing. They found that more straight men have close friendships and that shift can be attributed to the decline in homophobia. Even better, researchers found that young straight men are not only embracing the bromance but it’s also helping them deal with life’s hardships. You go, bros!

Researchers at the University of Winchester in the UK studied 30 heterosexual men in sports degree programs at a British university. All 30 men had at least one “bromantic” friend. A bromance was defined as a friendship that included intimate discussion of health issues, sexual desires and relationships.

Lead researcher, Stefan Robinson says, "They were clear that a bromance offers a deep sense of unburdened disclosure and emotionality based on trust and love.”

Not only did these straight men have bros, but bromances impacted their lives positively. Researchers found that bromances served as a source of strength to young straight men, especially if they’re struggling with anxiety or depression.

Bros, what took you so long? Oh that’s right, societal bias.

Bros being bros has never sounded so good. So, to all the bros out there, congrats on being able to embrace your inner Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes or even your inner Joe Biden and Barack Obama. Grab a bro, a beer, and bawl your eyes out together while talking about feelings. Yes, feee-liiings.

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